LIGHTWEIGHTS: Hoops and grappling

Gordon McNeill, Corona del Mar High’s junior varsity boys

basketball coach, displays contentment. He teaches seventh grade world

history at CdM and is also the freshman baseball coach.

He was a star in his hoop playing days at UC San Diego and then a

professional ball player in Australia. So, some might think he would

aspire to be a varsity coach.

And, with Sea Kings’ boys basketball Coach Paul Orris stepping down

more questions started coming his way.

Doesn’t he want to be a varsity coach?

“Many people have asked me that,” said McNeill who also serves as the

varsity assistant coach. “I don’t have the desire to be the head coach.

I’ve been around it for a while. The amount of work, the budgets, the

organizing, the clothing, the summer league, it’s endless. It doesn’t

stop. That’s not what I want. I enjoy my role. I’m happy where I’m at.”

This season, McNeill was satisfied with the junior varsity’s season.

The Sea Kings finished 6-14 overall and 2-8 in the Pacific Coast League,

but they lost to PCL leaders Northwood, by just two points, and

University by four, which encouraged McNeill.

Sophomore Brett Matsen led CdM with 14 points per game. And, Steve

Russell averaged eight rebounds a game.

As the Sea Kings’ varsity team loses 12 players to graduation, the

younger players will have to improve quickly and get ready for the top

level, McNeill said.

Juniors Luis Najar and Patrick Libuda, who were bumped to varsity with

Matsen for the postseason, are two more players who will be counted on

for the Sea Kings’ success next year.

“The kids were competitive,” McNeill said of his JV squad. “It wasn’t

like we were being killed, but we were right there and the games were

close.”

At Newport Harbor, wrestling Coach Dominic Bulone made the most of

what he had. With few people coming out for the sport, Bulone switched

wrestlers from junior varsity to varsity, and vice versa, just so that

the Sailors would get as much experience as possible.

“Because of the 20-man roster they would wrestle at the lower levels,

too,” Bulone said.

Senior Frankie Rodriguez (189-pound weight class) went back and forth

on the squads. He finished 3-0 and placed first in the San Clemente

Tournament, a junior varsity or lower level meet.

Sophomore Jon Archer (140), who moved to Lake Elsinore, won the El

Rancho Tournament and finished third in San Clemente’s tourney.

Kevin Lim (103), finished 11-2 at the lower levels, and had the same

tournament honors as Archer. Bulone said Lim scored 20 takedowns while

allowing opponents to shoot for five.

Sophomore Juilo Villalobos (189), finished 13-3 at the lower levels,

first at Corona del Mar’s tournament, second at the El Rancho Tournament

and third at San Clemente.

He also recorded the fastest pin for the junior varsity wrestlers,

completing a fall in eight seconds.

Freshman Brian Rebard (145) finished 11-7 and second-place at the El

Rancho Tournament.

-- by Steve Virgen